Ranch visits add value for students in the Master of Science in Ranch Management program at the King Ranch® Institute for Ranch Management.
The two-year graduate program at Texas A&M University-Kingsville offers students advanced learning opportunities outside of the classroom setting to help grow their knowledge of the ranching business. Students visit 5-8 ranches and feedlots per year and learn firsthand from owners and managers how the operations are successfully managed. These experiences are invaluable in exposing students to real ranchers who are facing real issues, and allows them a chance to interact with people who have been in this business for many years.
On January 7, 2019, before the spring semester kicked off, the students began a trip to visit two ranches and a feedyard with Dr. Rick Machen, professor and endowed chair in ranch management at KRIRM. The trip included visits to two ranches that are nationally recognized for their stewardship of land and natural resources: Birdwell and Clark Ranch and FSP Ranch. The students concluded the trip at Bar G Feedyard. Let’s learn a bit more about the trip!
Birdwell and Clark Ranch
The students and Dr. Machen had a great visit with Emry Birdwell and Deborah Clark of Birdwell and Clark Ranch. Emry and Deborah-husband and wife-have owned the ranch in Henrietta, TX for 15 years. With diligent grazing management efforts, they have seen significant improvement in the range resource. We were able to hear Emry’s passion when discussing adaptive/rotational/mob grazing management. They run a large herd of 3,500 to 5,000 stockers that are moved 3-5 times daily, seven days a week.
Emry explained characteristics of healthy soils and plants, the key to sustaining forages (appropriate grazing/use and lengthy recovery periods), the reality that most every plant in the pasture has utility, showed the students his innovative way to provide drinking water with a mobile trough and more. Deborah talked about the time requirements, stress, and time management of such a resource management program. We spent half a day with them on the ranch, but could’ve stayed an entire week to keep learning.
FSP Ranch
Our students continued their visit to Sterling City, TX to learn about grazing management with Frank and Sims Price of FSP Ranch. We learned of the same kind of success Deborah and Emry have at Birdwell and Clark, but Frank sees much lower rainfall in his region. The students spent some time with Frank touring the pastures, looking at plants and grazing responses, and the results of prescribed burn program. As they drove around the ranch and circled areas numerous times, Frank pointed out indicators of range resource improvement with prescribed fire. Those improvements include the appearance of preferred species, a decline of prickly pear in places, and management of invasive brush (cedar and mesquite).
Frank is an adamant advocate of rotational grazing, contending that it is key to maintaining plant health. Rotational grazing has allowed him to discontinue protein/energy supplementation, discontinue the use of anthelmintics (no need to treat for gastrointestinal roundworms, a huge accomplishment for his sheep enterprise), and maintain a 93-97% calf crop and weaning weights in excess of 650 lbs at 7-8 months. Frank appreciates the contribution of cool season perennial and annual plants as they are the reason winter protein/energy supplementation can be avoided.
We are thankful to FSP Ranch for allowing us to learn about their grazing management and share their knowledge with our students.
Bar G Feedyard
The students concluded their trip at Bar G Feedyard in Summerfield, TX.
Our students spent some time getting an inside look at cattle tracking and management at the 100,000-head capacity feedyard, complete with 20 sections of farmland where stocker cattle are grazed. We were fortunate to tour the facilities with manager Johnny Trotter and assistant manager Kevin Bunch. Johnny and Kevin offered great advice and insight into valuable human resource topics, including employee recruitment and retention (both huge challenges in a feedyard). We are grateful for this opportunity with Johnny and Kevin!
“If you are in the service business, every person you meet is an opportunity.”
Johnny Trotter, Manager, Bar G Feedyard
